Incarceration In Corrections

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The United States every year sentences thousands of individuals for various crimes he or she has committed. These crimes can range from felonies to misdemeanors. Felonies are more serious than misdemeanors and usually carries out punishments of one-year or more. However, misdemeanors usually carries out punishments of a few months up to a year (“Seller, R. P.” 2011). Every criminal case brought forth must be reviewed thoroughly by a judge ensuring proper procedures are mandatory to be carried out when sentencing. When judges are sentencing certain individuals who have a criminal history, he or she must impose the three-strike laws pertaining to the individual and the nature of the crime. There is some resentment…show more content…
Recent reports have concluded that the United States has the highest incarceration rate throughout the world at 2.2 million inmates. This increase is causing major concerns for corrections statewide, as prisons are seriously overcrowded ("University Of Phoenix," 2003). Prison populations are steadily growing year by year since the 1980s. However, the reason for this increase is a result of the Sentencing Reforming Act of 1984 (“Seller, R. P.” 2011). Once this act was put into use there was a significant increase in the incarceration rate, which resulted in correctional staff becoming burdened and overworked as a result of the extreme overcrowding. Not only does the overcrowding effect staff, but it also interferes with budgets and costs that operate these facilities. The more prisoners to house, clothe, feed puts a strain on taxpayers as costs also increase. With costs going up this can cause employers to cut back, and if these facilities are understaffed this can create security risks, improperly ran facilities and increased prison…show more content…
However, offenders are offered the opportunity to earn points that could be applied to the reduction of the initial sentence. Although offenders have an opportunity to reduce his or her sentence, the date of release remains the same with hardly any significant changes. Determinate sentences are typically serious crimes or crimes that follow the three-strike laws. Since the 1970s indeterminate sentences have shifted significantly and most states are currently moving toward determinate sentencing. Nevertheless, it is normal for states to have variety of both determinate and indeterminate sentencing, depending on the severity of the crime. Usually convictions that are the result of drugs in which rehabilitation can make an improvement would be considered indeterminate sentencing ("Daniel Jenson Law,"

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